March 26, 2014
Missouri

Commissioners oppose GBE power line

Bowling Green Times | March 25, 2014 | www.bowlinggreentimes.com

Pike County’s Commissioners have voiced their concerns on a proposed power line which would run through the area, thusly adding their names to the list of opponents for the multi-state project.

In a letter to the Missouri Public Service Commission, the three county officials say they oppose expected use of eminent domain in acquiring land for the project.

Eminent domain allows the government to take land for public use with simple compensation to the landowner.

Clean Line Energy Partners of Houston, Texas has proposed sending electricity produced by wind power along a 700-mile high-voltage transmission line from Kansas to Indiana, which would necessitate a portion of the line running through eastern Missouri.

The final route through the area could be anywhere from Hannibal to Bowling Green. Clean Line says the project will create construction and maintenance jobs, reduce pollution, and be more efficient than traditional transmission lines.

The Pike County Commissioners also noted their concerns about possible health hazards to humans and livestock, decreasing land values, and the impact on cell phones and emergency radio equipment in their letter to the State commission.

The commissioners also ask whether the temporary economic stimulus provided by construction is worth what they call the “long-term negative effects placed on the environment and citizens of Pike County.”

Several area groups opposing the project have met around the area, spreading information about the power line’s negative side.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2014/03/26/commissioners-oppose-gbe-power-line/